Lenses cleaning apparatus



March 5, 1963 c. w. coNRosE LENSES CLEANING APPARATUS Original Filed June 30, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 QYQS vm. .Emmi mw@ a RS Y RGS:

March 5, 1963 c. w. coNRosx-z LENSES CLEANING APPARATUS Original Filed June 30, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 QQQQ lb ...wk vk .wl en CHAR/.ES W COA/ROSE m. .MQ

3,679,619 LENSES CLEANEJG AEPARATUS Charles l. Conrose, Rochester, NSY., assigner to Eastman Kodak tonipany, Rochester, NFI., a corporation of New .lersey Original application .lune 3G, H53, Ser. No. 7455545. ivided and this application Sept. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 139,936

3 Claims. (Cl. 15-l) This application is a division of my U.S. patent application Serial No. 745,645, tiled June 30, 1958.

The present invention relates to the cleaning and pro tection of the surfaces of finely machined and/ or highly polished workpieces, such as lenses, through the application of strippable plastic materials such as adhes-ives and coating materials. ln particular, the invention is concerned with a method for removal from a workpiece of a plastic integument in which such workpiece previously has been encapsulated for protection and cleaning purposes. One apparatus and method embodiment ot the invention accomplishes removal of such integument by rst fastening tapes to surfaces of the encapsulating material by means of adhesive, and then rupturing the integumen-t and withdrawing it from the workpiece by pulling away the tapes.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a diagrammatic representation of a method of encapsulating lenses with a plastic, strippable coating material prior Ito storage of the lenses;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation, in side elevation, showing the use of adhesive tapes in removing integuments of strippable coating material from lenses;

FlG. 3 is a sectional View through a lens encapsulated in an integument of a strippable coating material;

PEG. 4 is yan enlarged sectional View through `a portion of a lens from which a plastic integument is being removed; and

FlG. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of a method of cleaning lenses using only a tape-supported, pressure sensitive adhesive.

Lenses normally require drastic cleaning for removal of pitch and other debris and grease found on them following completion of grinding and polishing operations. Such cleaning normally is accomplished in a plurality of baths and brushing operations employing various types of solvents :and detergents. Unless protected from the surrounding atmosphere, the lthus cleaned, highly polished surfaces of the lenses not only accumulate deposits of dirt and dust, but the lens surfaces also are subject to surface deterioration thought to be the result of leaching by contaminants present in atmospheric air. Additional cleaning subsequently may be necessary after the lenses have lhad optical antireflection coatings deposited on them, since uoride dust usually is stir-red up within the coating apparatus when the vacuum is broken therein upon completion of the coating operation.

In accordance with the present invention, lens surfaces are cleaned and/or protected by application of mechanically rernovable plastic material applied immediately iollowing completion of the drastic cleaning operation and/ or completion of deposition of the antirellective materail. Varens types of plastic compositions which may be applied for cleaning and protecting lenses in accordance with the invention are available commercially. The pastic composition may be adhesive or nonadhesive, as will be explained below. f adhesive, preferably it should be supported on a tape or the like when appled to the lens surface. f nonadhesive, it preferably should be applied as a coating, initially in iluid form.

One nonadhesive particularly useful for lens cleaning is a composition manufactured by the Guard Coatings Colporation, Long island City, New York and sold under the name Metalguard No. 115. Another is Vapon Clear S'trippable Coating, manufactured by the 11Japon Division of Atlas Powder Company, Stamford, Connecticut. Any oi a number of other formulations are suitable, all such formulations having the common property of being applicable as a liquid and transformable in situ on the workpiece to a continuous, solid or simi-solid skin. Such coating materials may be applied in any of various ways such as spraying, dipping, or brushing, usually followed by a solvent removal or drying step 'to hasten the formation of a unitary integurnent. Such an integument not only is eiective in excluding air and foreign particle-s, but it also serves to remove any such particles which may have lodged on the lens surface prior to the coating operation. The coating material does not necessarily exhibit adhesive attraction for the lens, but depends on cohesion for its edectivencss. Dust particles resting on the lens become embedded lor occluded inthe coating material, while some oily materials and the like may be dissolved therein, so that when vthe integument subsequently is removed, such foreign matter is removed along with it.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a method and means for facilitating the rapid removal of a protective, cleansing integument from a lens when the latter is removed from storage to be assembled or subjected to additional treatment. ln accordance with the invention, the encapsulated lens is fed into a bite formed by tapes havino opposed adhesive surfaces, such tapes being made to travel in parallel paths spaced suitably to form the bite. rl`he adhesive surfaces of the tapes are pressed into intimate contact with surfaces or" the integurnent on the lens to form a strong adhesive bond with the integument. Subsequently, the tapes are pulled in opposite directions and away from Ithe lens. The adhesive bonds between the tapes and integument being stronger than the cohesiveness of the latter and also stronger than the bonds between the integument and the lens, the integument is ruptured 'and pulled away from its lens in one or more pieces, all portions of the integument remaining adhered to the tapes as the latter are withdrawn. Thus, a clean lens having nonoxidized surfaces is presented for assembly or further treating.

With reference to FIG. l, lenses lll are received fresh from a chemical cleaning or optical coating operation and are placed on the feed end of a continuous conveyer lL the direction of movement of which is indicated by arrows. ln traveling along the upper llight of the conveyer, each lens is subjected consecutively to spraying and drying operations during which it becomes encapsulated with plastic material which is transformed to a mechanically strippable integument. lf there is foreign matter on the lens during the coating operation, such matter becomes dissolved, absorbed, occluded or embedded in the huid coating material. From the delivery end of the cionveyer, the lenses may be moved to storage where they may be stored for long periods without deterioration. The condition of a lens storage is illustrated diagrammatically in FlG. 3 in which a relatively tough integument 42 of substantial thickness encases the lens.

FlG. 2 shows the preferred method for removal of integuments from a group of lenses removed from storage preparatory to assembly or further treatment. Encapsulated lenses 2l are placed on the feed end of an endless conveyor 22 and are delivered by the latter to the bite formed by a pair of traveling adhesive tapes which are fed respectively from supply rolls 23 and Z4 in a manner providing for adhesive surfaces of the tapes to be oppositely disposed. Suitable spacing of the tapes for formation of a bite of appropriate size is obtained through the spacing of rolls 25 and 26. The moving Y rolls 3l and 32, such tension being lenses pass between sponge rubber rolls 27 and 23 having more closely spaced opposed surfaces to force the tapes into intimate contact with the surfaces of the integuments covering the lenses, thereby obtaining strong adhesive bonds between the tapes and integurncnts. As is apparent from the drawing, the tv/o tapes move in the same direction and at the same speed. The integuments are ruptured and removed from the lenses at the rolls 29 and Si? where the tapes are pulled away from the lenses in opposite directions under the tension of take-up sufficient to rupture the integuments and remove them, still adhered to the tape, from the lenses. A receiving conveyor E3 accepts the lenses which have been freed of their integuments, idler roll 34% being employed to steady the lenses as they pass onto the receiving conveyor.

PEG. 4 is a greatly enlarged sectional view showing the stripping action which takes place at the rolls 29 and 3o, movement of the lens lil and tapes t4 and d, as indicated by the arrows, being to the left in this ligure and therefore opposite to the direction of movement illustrated in FlGS. 2 land 5. The lens Stil, encased in an integurnent e2, is being freed of the integurnent through the pulling action of the pressure sensitive adhesive 43 supported on a tape Il and a like adhesive d5 supported on a tape do. As illustratedthe integument 42 has been ruptured and the process of stripping has commenced at the leading edge'thereof. Particles 47 of vforeign matter embedded, occluded, absorbed or dissolved in the plastic material of the integument are being removed with the latter so that a clean lens surface results.

Depending upon the amount of atmospheric exposure or contamination to which a lens may have been subjected immediately following a prior lens cleaning operation, the protective and cleaning operations ot thetinven- Vtion are subject to variation in character and may be embodied in a number ot did-errent forms. For instance, strippable plastic material, either adhesive or nonadhesive, may be applied and immediately thereafter removed, for cleaning purposes alone, if the lens is not to remain in storage.

FIG. 5 sho-Ws a cleaning operation employing only a tape-supported adhesive; in accordance with this ernbodirnent of the invention, lenses 5l are moved on a continuous conveyor 52 into the bite of opposed adhesi 1e surfaces of two tapes o2 and di; supplied respecti tely from rolls 53 and 65 and moving in parallel paths separatedtby an amount determined by the position of rolls 53 and 54. The mechanical operation is similar to that illustrated in EEG. Y2, but the function of the adhesive is to remove debris from the lens surfaces rather than to remove an integurnent which in turn would remove such debris. As shown in the ligure, sponge rubber rolls 55 and 56 press the tapes into firm contact Vwith the lens surfaces and at rolls S and 53 the tape is separated from the lens surfaces under the opposed pulling action of take-up rolls 59 and di?, each cleaned lens being presented to a receiving convey-er ol. lf desired, the lenses, with the tape -still applied, could be stored in the forrn of a roll for any necessary period, the tape subsequently being pulled od when the lenses are to be put to use.

lt will be understood that other Workp-ieces than lenses can be protected for storage and cleaned in accordance with the teaching of the present invention, the main purpose of which will be understood to be the provision of a method and means for facilitating rapid application and removal ot integurnents of strippable coating material previously applied to the workpieces.

When the shape of an article or the conformation or character of its integument is Such that initial rupture cannot be obtained solely through the pulling action of an adhesive tape, rupture may be initiated by puncturlng or slitting the integument With a sharp tool, such as aY Yil. knife edge held in the path of the moving encapsulated Workpieces. Due to the nature of the material forming the pellicle, completion of the operation of parting the integument from its workpiece is easily accomplished by the tapes once the continuity of the integument has been broken. That is to say, once an incision has been made, only slight tension is required to continue the splitting action, the complete rupture, and removal of the integument from the workpiece.

Adhesive suitable for usewith the invention are, as indicated above, preferably of a pressure sensitive type, although it is Within the spirit of the invention to substitute in the method heat-sensitive adhesives or Water-sensitive adhesives or the like by usingy suitable means to activate the adhesive when it is applied. The nature of the tape used to support the adhesive is not critical so long as minimum requirements of tensile strength, ilexibility and a tenacious bond to the supported adhesive are met. One suitable combination of tape and adhesive is available in a pressure sensitive adhesive supported on a tape of cellulosic, e.g. cellophane, sheeting, the combination being manufactured by Minnesota Mining and Manu facturing Company and sold under the trade Vname Scotch The adhesive may, if desired, be supported on other flexible materials such as paper and cloth or on more elastic material such as certain vinyl plastics, easily capable of conforming to the lens surfaces.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected widiin the spirit and scope of the invention as described hereinabove and as defined in the appended claims. Y

l claimt.

l. Apparatus for removing strip coatings from articles comprising first and second tape supplyv rolls, irst and second positively driven take-up rolls spaced from said supply rolls to provide for lengths of tape to run between the respective supply andV take-up rolls, a lirst pair 4of guide rolls positioned to provide a substantially straight path for tape in a portion of its run from the rstrsupply roll to the first take-up roll, -a second pair of guide rolls positioned to provide a substantially Vstraight path for tape in a portion of its run from the second tape supply roll to the second tape take-up roll, the guide rolls being positioned to place said paths in substantial parallelism and in spaced relation suitable to provide a bite for an article, means along said paths for pressing the tapes traveling therealong rmly into contact with articles in the bite, an idler vroll positioned to guide articles at the end of the path in a substantially unchanged direction, the take-up rolls being spaced from said paths to provide for pulling the tapes away from the articles at the second pair of guide rolls. r

2. VMeans for stripping a plastic integument from an article comprising a iirst tape supply roll, a second tape supply roll, elongated adhesive tape wound on each supply roll, a lirst pair of guide rolls spaced apart and cooperating With tape withdrawn from the tape supply rolls to form a bite for articles between oppositely disposed adhesive surfaces of the tapes, a second pair of spaced cooperating guide rolls disposed to, in combination with the first pair of guide rolls, provide a substantially straight run for the two tapes wherein the latter are in spaced parallel relation continuing their bite upon the articles, a pair of pressure rolls on opposite sides of the tape paths, spaced and cooperating to apply tirm pressure to tapes engaging articles passing between the pressure rolls, and a pair of positively driven take-up rolls positioned to simultaneously, and in opposite directions, pull Vaway from articles tape passing around the second guide rolls.

3. Apparatus for stripping a solid, mechanically coherent coating from the surface oi' an article coated therewith comprising an adhesive tape supply for continuously supplying elongated adhesive tape, means for continuto produce continuously a forceful divergence of the tape path and the article path.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,949,868 Keutel Mar. 6, 1934 

3. APPARATUS FOR STRIPPING A SOLID, MECHANICALLY COHERENT COATING FROM THE SURFACE OF AN ARTICLE COATED THEREWITH COMPRISING AN ADHESIVE TAPE SUPPLY FOR CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING ELONGATED ADHESIVE TAPE, MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY MOVING THE TAPE ALONG A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT PATH, MEANS ALONG SAID PATH FOR PRESSING THE ADHESIVE SURFACE OF THE MOVING TAPE INTO INTIMATE CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE OF SAID MECHANICALLY COHERENT COATING ON THE ARTICLE WHILE THE ARTICLE IS MOVING CONCURRENTLY WITH THE TAPE ALONG A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT PATH PARALLEL TO THE TAPE PATH, AND MEANS ADJACENT THE END OF THE STRAIGHT TAPE PATH ARRANGED TO PRODUCE CONTINUOUSLY A FORCEFUL DIVERGENCE OF THE TAPE PATH AND THE ARTICLE PATH. 